Two feet
by chopsauce
Summary: Goten is trying to go it alone in his new life at university, but his best friend can't help but help out.
1. Chapter 1

I've never done this before, I don't own anything I just wanted to see what would happen if i messed with it, i do plan to add subsequent chapters, I don't know how romantic it will end up being, neither do you that's why we read on, no? (:  
If you don't like it, that's cool, if you could tell me why not that would be cool too. If you do like it, alright, well great, thanks.

* * *

Goten picked up the opened letter again and glanced over the words he'd already read a thousand times. 'Dear Mr Son,' It began, 'Thankyou for rectifying your balance.'  
Goten moved around his apartment restlessly, he wasn't sure whether he was glad his roommate was out or not. He sat on his sofa upright, until this became uncomfortable, at which point he lay down, until this became uncomfortable, shortly after he found himself upside-down with his head lolling off the seat. It was a while before he noticed he'd been turning 360s on the couch.  
He sat up, stood up, sighed.  
Study worries, money worries, it was all getting a bit grown up for Son Goten as he gazed out of his apartment window. It wasn't as if the bill didn't need paying, he admitted to himself, and it also wasn't as if he would have been able to pay it, not the way the shifts in work had been.

That didn't stop it making him feel uncomfortable, though.

He turned from the window and glanced around, the place wasn't bad… it could have been worse, and would have been if he'd gotten his way. It also certainly would have been better if Trunks had been allowed to help as much as he wanted to, but Son Goten didn't want to be helped. He'd been tired of living in the shadow of his rich and handsome best friend, of his intelligent and strong big brother, of his universe saving father… Goten didn't want hand-outs, he just wanted a sliver of independence, and a sliver was certainly all he was going to get if this recent development was anything to go by. The thought sent a jolt of rage through him, and he looked down to find the letter singed and slightly smoking in his hand. His lack of control only annoyed him further and he scrunched the paper and launched it across the room, as if the letter itself had dared to doubt his capability of supporting himself through university.

He headed back towards to sofa before changing his mind and simply pacing the floor. No, he thought, it really didn't take Gohan or Bulma to figure out who'd been taking it upon themselves to meet Goten's deadlines. It had Briefs Trunks written all over it.

The thought of it made Goten feel a number of things, he supposed he should have been grateful, and he would have been, if it didn't undermine everything he was trying to achieve. What it did instead was make him feel patronised, untrusted, and checked up on.

There were other things though; more subtle and less explicable changes to their friendship before he'd started university which Goten was altogether struggling to reconcile. The two had been best friends all their lives, they shared a bond Goten was pretty sure no two other people on the planet could claim to know; they had been one entity, shared one mind. Trunks was Goten's best friend, and while he was a fundamentally good person and had certainly grown up, he was also kind of spoilt, and kind of an ass - he couldn't help it.

So this gives rise to the paradox with which Goten now found himself struggling, suddenly he had gone from having the kind of best friend who trips you around corners and gives you dead arms, to the kind of best friend who wants to use his new CEO wages to buy you a penthouse. For your birthday, you manage to convince him, as thankful as you are, you can't drive to campus in a Lambourghini it'll look bizarre. A car really isn't necessary you said, you just want to fit in and be a normal student you said, and you now have an Audi parked outside your student accommodation that you're really not sure how to explain to your flatmates.

These were just two examples of his recent behaviour, and Goten was careful not to sound ungrateful each time his friend offered something lavish, he knew it was meant as a nice gesture, and of course it was. In the same token, by no means was he complaining that the dead arm thing was over, maybe it was indeed just time to grow up. It was just… Trunks' replacement gestures were exponentially more valuable and seemed to be increasing each time.  
Maybe Goten was just being suspicious when there was really no need, he reasoned. Why couldn't a best friend just buy another best friend expensive items, if they had the expendable income to do so?

It was just, well, why?

His kneejerk reaction is that Trunks was feeling guilty, 'But for what?' Goten wondered. He searched his mind for anything he may have failed to pick up on the last couple of times they hung out, before getting kind of irritated 'Anything you you're trying to compensate for with a 6 figure value car is something I'm definitely going to be really pissed off about' He thought.

But there was another trail of enquiry his brain kept almost trying to avoid, Goten hesitated at the thought, maybe this was being ultimately stupid, but… why wasn't Trunks buying for a girl? I mean they were always falling all over him. Not that Goten was putting himself down, he didn't do badly, but Trunks was kinda famous and quite a bit rich. And one present, well sure, that's friendship. But Cars? Apartments? Paying his bills? An insane thought crossed Goten's mind; 'Am i-am I being kept?'

He almost laughed out loud and snapped out of his reverie, but there was a deep feeling of unease left in the pit of his stomach. Realising he'd become stationary in thought, he resumed pacing again at this newest possibility. He glanced at the clock; 4.50PM. His mind whirred and ran away with infinite possibility; he decided he could take it no longer. Steeling himself, he approached the window and hauled it open, making sure as best he could no one was about to get an eyeful, he blasted through in the direction of capsule corp, wondering if a certain youthful president might give something away under scrutiny.


	2. Two sides

Hey thanks to the people who said nice things about this, and to anyone who expressed interest by following, I'd have considered it a huge win if just one person enjoyed it so thanks.  
I already had the second part kind of written so I figured why wait; next one mightn't be this fast though so apologies in advance.

* * *

Goten streaked across the autumn sky, careful to keep above the clouds until the last light faded. He was confident no one would catch his dark hair and clothes silhouetted against the evening, but he played it safe just in case, dropping only so often to check he hadn't veered off course as he flew. The sense of purpose and drive which had caused him to launch himself out of his apartment window not ten minutes previous seemed to stutter and ebb as the Capsule Corp dome grew in size and seemed to move to greet him. He wished it wouldn't.

He was once again lost in thought, and doubt, constructing potential conversation arcs in his head, wondering what exactly he was going to open the conversation with when he arrived, it suddenly struck him that Trunks might even have left already, he was after all, his own boss. A plethora of scenarios were unfolding in the demi-saiyan's mind when something large and frighteningly fast streaked in front of him, causing him to almost fall out of the sky.

'Hey Goten!' A bulkier and slightly taller version of Goten himself called out of the semi-darkness.

Goten jumped about 10 feet in the air before coming to rest level with his older brother, clutching his chest and panting hard.

'Jesus H. Christ Gohan, where is the need in that?'

'What the hell man? Didn't you feel me coming?' Gohan asked in surprise. Gohan wore his hair shorter than Goten, stood a little taller, flew a little faster. Hovering before him in all his glory, Goten couldn't help but be reminded in part of the reason he was trying to be independent in the first place.

'I- Of course I could, you just- shocked me, is all,' Goten lied.

Gohan let scepticism fleetingly pass across his features before rearranging his expression, but Goten had caught it. 'Well I know I can see that, I just thought y'know, if you'd have sensed me then maybe you would have, not almost fallen to your death? I sensed _you_ man, your energy has been weird all day and when I felt you rushing off somewhere, I just thought I'd check in.' He looked at Goten as if attempting to work him out, problem solver that he was, and then behind himself in the direction Goten would have been travelling before he got in the way.

'Capsule Corp?' He asked, raised eyebrows.

'Well, yeah-I' Goten spluttered. He had no idea why, there was little to nothing suspicious about him going to visit his lifelong best friend, he had nothing to try and hide, so why did he feel like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar?

Goten realised he must have been taking longer than normal to respond when Gohan's hand began waving in his face; 'Hello? I just wondered why your energy was weird, you don't have to explain yourself to me, whatever party you've got yourself pumped for with Trunks tonight man, that's fine, I just want you to be careful, I thought you'd taken some shit or something.'

'OH!' Goten laughed in what he hoped was an off-the-cuff manner 'Man you're crazy! You. Are. Crazy. Nah I just uhhhh, need to clear something up with Trunks he um, said something last time we were out I've been thinking over today, can't let it go, we might need to punch each other, dunno, I gotta go anyway' He half lied, convincingly he hoped, and made motions as if to leave.

'Erm, okay? Well, erm, listen, ring mum yeah? She worries man, I know she's pushy but she just wants the best for you.'

'Oh don't start Gohan we almost had a conversation void of bullshit then, see you around'. Goten snapped.

His older brother didn't look hurt or even particularly surprised, just sort of resigned and sad. Goten caught his expression and sighed, 'Way to kick a puppy you ass.' He thought to himself. He didn't blame his brother for the way he felt; Gohan couldn't help being who he was, and it was hard to say a bad thing about him. Goten turned back towards his brother, guilt moving into his stomach along with everything else.

'Listen I'm sorry man, I appreciate that you came to see if I was okay, just having a bad day here, tell mum I'm fine, doing okay so everyone can take it down a notch. See you later.'

'Yeah see you' Gohan said to no one in particular, his brothers after-image was fading before him, and he began wondering what at Capsule Corp was such a big secret.

* * *

Briefs Trunks sat as his desk surrounded by paperwork upon paperwork. He heard his phone vibrate, the assaulting sound only phones on wood are capable of making. He glanced at it briefly and saw the message preview pop up, offer for drinks, nope.

Ignoring both that and the paperwork, he contented himself thinking about his days accomplishments, stopping only to congratulate himself on being such a great friend. He'd contacted the utility company to make sure everything was square, and also to make sure they hadn't sent any unnecessary correspondence to Goten, that mightn't go down well. They assured him they'd made an exception not to in this case after his initial request, even if they were somewhat confused about why they'd done it.

Trunks thought about all the things he'd done for Goten over the past couple of months while he'd been trying to find his feet (and sometimes not managing it, he'd found ways to check). He smiled to himself, although wisely protected from the bulk of it, he had what some may consider unspendable amounts of expendable income. And Trunks knew there had to be some good he could do with that money.

Ever since they were kids and he was passing down toys, Trunk had never had a problem with helping Goten, in fact Goten was probably the one person in the world Trunks would truly go out of his way to help. He felt a responsibility for his friend, a sense of solidarity, an urge to protect…

Wait, what?

Trunks' eyes widened. 'What the hell was that last one?' He thought to himself. 'I've both weirded and creeped _myself _out. With my own thoughts. What the hell. Goten doesn't need my protection I've seen him level canyons, and not even on purpose.'

The fact that the thought had popped into his head at all was making him feel a bit nauseous so he attempted to resume normality by reminiscing. He remembered one particular incident in their early teens with fondness; Trunks had been winding Goten up from the moment they left the house, initially he teased about a girl at school he thought Goten might like, which earned him some scowls, by the time he worked up to how much stronger Gohan seemed to be lately, Goten was crackling and the ground around him was white hot, that's when the spars were best. He laughed a little to show his friend he'd just been yanking his chain, but Goten was pretty much blind with rage and continued to power up, seemingly unknowingly.

'Goten? Uh, Goten? I'm sorry man I was just trying to make this interesting, I think you're literally about to cause a fault line, there'll be an earthquake, it'd be really good if you calmed down.'  
Trunks began to get seriously nervous, Goten couldn't hear him.

'GOTEN! CALM THE FUCK DOWN'

'GOTEN!'

'WHAT?'

The force that emanated from Goten as he snapped both at his friend and out of his rage audibly cracked through the air like a solid steel girder shattering, levelling all trees and even slight contour changes for 5 miles around, as well as singeing 80% of trunks clothes off. Trunks looked down and back up at his friend, who at least he had the decency to blush as he called him an ass.

Trunks laughed out loud to himself and sighed.

For some reason however, he couldn't shake the niggling doubt at the back of his mind that told him there was a slight chance that Goten may find out and take umbrage against the help he hadn't asked for. And the fact that Trunks had been surveying his transactions. And just generally prying.

But the only reason he was doing it was to help Goten out and be a good friend.

After all, that's why he was doing it, to be a great friend. Wasn't it?

Wasn't it?

His face changed and he shifted in his seat uncomfortably, casting his mind back to the drink offer from a pretty co-worker he'd ignored earlier. 'No', he admitted to himself finally. 'It's probably not'.

He was jerked out of this deeply concerning thought by his secretary on the intercom,  
'Your friend Mr Son has been spotted on the cameras Mr Briefs, shall I send him up when he gets here?'  
Trunks bolted upright, his eyes seemed to flick to the window of their own volition, suggesting he escape.

'Erm, not if you can't help it Sophie, no.' 


End file.
